boatbuildlog

Design

Vagabond 18

Designed by Jacques Mertens

An 18 ft 2 in fast day sailer with a small cabin by Jacques Mertens for Bateau. The hull lines are close to the proven Vagabond 20, but the emphasis is on a large cockpit. Swept spreaders do away with the backstay. Beam is 7 ft, draft 17 in with the board up, ballast 500 lb, trailer weight 1,450 lb and nominal sail area 186 sq ft.

The hull is plywood sandwiched in biaxial glass, assembled stitch and glue with no scarfing. The designer says it is easier than the Vagabond 20, though more complex than a dinghy. Designer's figures: around 200 hours for hull and deck and another 150 to finish. Budget 350 to 600. Measured medians from build logs appear below.

What building a Vagabond 18 actually takes

Medians from the build logs kept on this site, not the designer’s estimate. Nobody has logged this boat here yet, so they are empty until the first builder does.

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Build logs
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Launched
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Median hours
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Median months

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